Characterization of Z/E11- and Z9-desaturases from the obliquebanded leafroller moth, Choristoneura rosaceana

• Published in: Journal of insect science (Tucson, Ariz.) Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 26
• Main Authors: Hao, Guixia, O'Connor, Marion, Liu, Weitian, Roelofs, Wendell L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 2002
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Choristoneura rosaceana; Cloning, Molecular - methods; DNA Primers - chemistry; DNA, Complementary - chemistry; Fatty Acid Desaturases - chemistry; Fatty Acid Desaturases - genetics; Fatty Acid Desaturases - metabolism; Female; Functional assay; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - methods; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - veterinary; Genes, Insect; Insect Proteins - biosynthesis; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Moths - enzymology; Moths - genetics; pYES2; RACE PCR; Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; RT-PCR; Sequence Alignment; Sex pheromone biosynthesis; YEpOLEX; Z/E11-desaturase; Z9-desaturase
• ISSN: 1536-2442; 1536-2442
• DOI: 10.1093/jis/2.1.26

A (triangle up) 11-desaturase gene was cloned from the sex pheromone gland of the obliquebanded leafroller moth, Choristoneura rosaceana. The desaturase cDNA sequence spans 1300 nucleotides with an open reading frame encoding a 335 amino-acid protein, which has 81% identity to a Z/E11-desaturase of the redbanded leafroller moth, Argyrotaenia velutinana. A functional assay with a pYES2 yeast expression system demonstrated that the (triangle up) 11-desaturase exhibits unusual substrate and stereospecificities in producing a Z/E11 mixture (7:1) of only C14 acids. A metabolic Z9-desaturase also was cloned from fat body of this species, and proved to be in the class that produces more Z9-16:Acid than Z9-18:Acid.